Apollon The Emperor of Athletes - LA84 Foundation

IRON GAME HISTORY VOLUME 4 NUMBERS 5 & 6
poses. For an encore, he would perform inside a special frame, the
results of which would be not without success.
They would be:
1st Milo of Croton pulling apart his tree stump
2nd Farnese Hercules in repose
3rd Samson and Delilah
4th Samson destroying the temple of the Philistines
5th Nero experimenting with poisons on his slaves
6th Cain and Abel
7th Strength protecting Woman
8th Mars and Venus, etc. . . .
Never, I believe, could a strongman act have aroused artistic
ideas like the one that might have been presented by Apollon. Let
us not forget that Apollon had a head that was absolutely typical of
the ancients, and he had the physique to go with it. This is something
that one does not find easily, especially if one wants to represent a
characteristic Roman since those specimens have become exceedingly
rare because of the different hybrids which have drowned the
primitive types.
In any case, Apollon did not understand at all that he could
put on a similar act, despite his taste for everything that had to do with
gladiators. The act could have been shown in Paris, London, Rome,
Berlin, Naples, Saint Petersburg, then in the great cities of America
and finally in Oceania where every attraction coming from Europe
meets with an overwhelming success. The hearty colossus simply
could not understand that he could make a fortune without his weights,
dumbells, or enormous loads — in fact, with nothing more than a few
props and a painted backdrop. He constantly asked me if I could not
include a few feats using four twenty-kilo block weights, his famous
eighty-kilo rectangular weight, and his piano supported on his midsection
in the ancient Roman act. Needless to say, I never wanted to
mix these acrobatic feats with my reconstruction of antiquity: that
would have been sacrilege, and I did not want to commit such a
blunder.
It only remains to cast an eye over several newspaper clip
pings from various cities where Apollon performed. These highly
complimentary excerpts verify the interest that the entire press gave
to Apollon. It is particularly important to remember that the press
at this time was not very sympathetic to sport and that there was not
a single magazine which was exclusively dedicated to sport as we
have nowadays.
From Périgueux
He is most assuredly the best strongman in the world.
Contrary to many others, he delivers more than he promises. A
mere glimpse of this perfect example of strength and elegance
will be enough to stimulate the curiosity of amateurs.
Apollon and Hercules, gods of strength, must have had the
30
same powerful appearance as this man. Those who defeated the
terrible monsters of antiquity must hove looked like him. At once
strong and supple, his tense arms play with enormous weights as a
child might toy with a ball. Apollon suspends himself with his head
placed on the back of one chair and his ankles placed on the back
of another, and on his chest is slung a piano. Then a gentleman
perches himself at the instrument and plays it as if he were resting
on a polished parlor. Apollon arises with a smite on his
lips when he is relieved of this enormous weight.
The strength-loving public would certainly want to see
this phenomenon who, like Hercules, can display himself by performing
incomparable feats.
From Limoges
When Apollon appeared on the stage of the Alcazar or in
a circus ring, the mere sight of him elicited hurrahs of enthusiasm
from the astounded spectators.
From Castres
We should rather call this giant king of strength “Hercules.”
He has remained unbeaten until now, and perhaps he is
invincible. The name of Diana’s brother might actually be more
appropriate because of the man’s admirable and supremely elegant
musculature.
Apollon was born in Arles — that ancient Roman city —
and we wonder if he just might be the descendant of an ancient race
and if drop or two of gladiator’s blood might circulate in his
veins. His vigorous physique evokes the era of Olympic wrestling
and makes us think of wild beast tamers in the arena upon whom
the decadent emperors deigned to smile.
From Mont-De-Marsan
Apollon, a superbly muscular young man of twenty-three
years has earned the nickname “the strongest man of the nineteenth
century.” That he is truly worthy of this title surprises us not at all;
after all, he possesses arms that are as large as Me thighs of ordinary
men.
From Algiers
In his feat called “The Bridge of Death:” Apollon juggles
with a fifty-weight directly over the head of a man lying on
the floor and catches the weight by pinching it with his fingertips
just a few centimeters from the “patient’s” face.
The muscular strength of this Hercules is equally spread
throughout his body. For instance, the power of one of his hams
is called into play when he climbs upon a table. He lifts up (in addition
to the bulk of his own body) a fifty-kilo weight attached to
one foot and carries with both outstretched arms a twenty-kilo weight